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Mobile Shopping is a Two-way Street for Auto Dealerships

Posted by Joe Gargiulo | Mon, Sep 12, 2016 @ 07:00 AM

When it comes to silver linings, the CrossCheck editorial team generally devises strategies for increasing auto dealership sales after interpreting the latest content and data. This approach was expedited in a recent article published by Auto Remarketing, distilling the new features offered by Cars.com into mutual advantages for consumers and dealerships. Bravo. It’s always nice to have someone help with the chores.

Cars.com’s announcement bolted across the start-finish line with two new features:

  • On The Lot VIN Scanner — Shoppers save their favorites vehicles and scan VIN numbers to access price and features.
  • Price Drop Alerts — Shoppers searching for a specific vehicle sign up for alerts whenever a price is reduced.

auto dealerships, buying a carBenefits to Consumers

“It’s second nature now for consumers to use their mobile devices while shopping for a car at the dealership,” said Pres and CEO Alex Vetter of Cars.com. “Shoppers want up-to-date information to compare vehicles and cost.”

Launched in 2010 and now boasting seven million visits per month, Cars.com enables consumers to make informed decisions. While it may seem like an advantage for consumers only, the app provides them with purchasing tools they previously had to acquire through independent channels such as sales literature, consumer reviews and online pricing calculators.

Cars.com assists auto dealerships in other ways as well. Another new release, Lot Insights, briefs them on “what consumers are doing on their mobile devices while they are at or near a dealership.”

Benefits to Auto Dealerships

With 81% of consumers using mobile devices to conduct advanced research, and 63% using them to research and shop while they are on the lot, dealerships are compelled to keep up with consumer preferences or get left behind.

Statistics appear to support a positive correlation between mobile research and vehicle sales. The Mobile Path to Purchase study concluded that nearly 50% of mobile searchers since 2012 ended up purchasing a vehicle the same day as their research. The study also stated that consumers prefer to conduct research using mobile websites versus mobile apps they may only use one time.

Advantages to Both

This blog has discussed the advantages of dealerships applying technology to increases sales in earlier articles (e.g. connecting with Millennials). Mobile devices are a proven channel that encourage consumers to feel good about their purchases. Once they decide to buy, however, the onus is on dealerships to help them negotiate the challenges of making down-payments.

CrossCheck’s Multiple Check service is one of the best tools that auto dealerships can offer to complete a sale. The impact on down-payments is huge: customers write up to four checks that dealers deposit over a 30-day period on a mutually beneficial schedule. Buyers drive their car home on the day of the sale while dealerships receives instant payments as guaranteed by CrossCheck. Learn more by downloading our free guide.

Multiple Check Insider's Guide

Topics: Auto Dealerships

Written by Joe Gargiulo

Marketing Specialist Joe Gargiulo has 25-plus years in marketing, communications and copy writing. As a writer, he enjoys connecting story leads to all aspects of the human experience.